Thousands protest in Greece against pension overhaul
Government said reform will make system viable to 2070
18 February, 13:36Unions are also holding protests in Thessaloniki and other major cities. The new conservative government says the reform, to be voted by Friday, will make the troubled Greek pension system viable to 2070. The labour ministry says the overhaul -- the third major revamp in a decade -- will contain pension increases and reduce penalties for pensioners still working. Successive governments have attempted to reform the pension system, whose previously generous handouts are seen as one of the causes of the decade-long Greek debt crisis. (ANSA-AFP).